How To Plan An At-Home Date Night

We’ve all heard the advice that to keep relationships flowing smoothly we need to incorporate date nights into our lives. Date nights are standing dates that you have with your partner no matter what else goes on in your schedules. For many couples date nights are an in-home affair, whether due to multiple young children, tight finances or packed schedules. At-home date nights are practical chunks of together time with your significant other that require no travel and no spending on a babysitter. After a while, your weekly at-home date night can start to become a bit stale and the usual “netflix and chill” may become a snore.

Here are some ways to ensure that your at-home date night stays fresh and special:

Dress up for it
It’s easy to show up for your at-home date night in the leggings and T shirt you changed into after work. I am guilty of this at times. I urge you to switch that messy bun to a cute hair style, and put on a sexy outfit and makeup. Dressing up for your date, even if it’s just in the living room, shows that it’s an event that you are excited about and take seriously. Even if you’re doing the same thing you did last week, dress beautifully for it and it will feel more special.

Try something new
Is your date night on autopilot? Do you make the same meal or order takeout from the same handful of restaurants? Venture out into new territory. Pick a restaurant you’ve never tried and order dinner there. Pick a netflix movie you’d normally never consider. If your date nights usually consist of ordering in, perhaps try cooking a meal together. If you normally use music or candles to set the mood, try a different scent or style of music. Keeping things fresh helps them stay special.

Do it on a different night
Sometimes shaking things up is as easy as planning your date night for Saturday vs Thursday. You’re in a different frame of mind on different days of the week. Make your monday night something special to look forward to by scheduling your date night for right after the kids are in bed. See what new day works well with both of your schedules and plan for something special.

Take turns taking the lead on it
Whoever usually plans out date nights needs to take a step back and let the other party lead for a while. Then, take turns planning out your at-home date nights and make it even more special by building in some surprises for your partner. Don’t let your partner know what you have planned and with the “secret” aspect, it’ll be even more special for you both.

Build anticipation during the week/day
Just like you look forward to friday after a long week, or an upcoming vacation, you can look forward to your at-home date night. Build it up into something to celebrate. Make it fun…or naughty. Call your partner at work and remind them about something date-related. My husband and I will text throughout the day about what’s in store for date night.

Whatever you do, don’t let your at-home date nights get stale. The goal of date nights is to stay connected to your partner on a regular basis. It’s easy to let them become routine week after week, but if you mix things up to keep it fresh, they will continue to be special.

What do you do to keep your at-home date night special?

Danielle Faust is the founder of FitNoire.com, a wellness site by and for Black women. She is also the voice behind the parenting/lifestyle blog OKDani.com. The married mom of two is a certified life and wellness coach based in south Florida.

Trending on MadameNoire

Comment Disclaimer: Comments that contain profane or derogatory language, video links or exceed 200 words will require approval by a moderator before appearing in the comment section. XOXO-MN

Popular Stories

We've joined the BHM Digital family of websites and have updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
By continuing to use this site, you agree to our updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.